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▼ Typhoon-Hit Strawberry Growers Battling Back In Tochigi Pref.
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Tochigi Prefecture is the biggest strawberry producer in Japan, and farmers there are working at a fever pitch to prepare for the Christmas season.
When Typhoon No. 19 hit in October, it flooded the Omoi River that runs through Kanuma, one of the main production areas. Some greenhouses were inundated with sediment, but the farmers are giving it their all, saying that as a production area, they have to overcome the situation.
According to the Kamitsuga agricultural cooperative, which has jurisdiction over the city, about 30 of the approximately 200 strawberry farms owned by co-op members were damaged by the flood. This included sediment in greenhouses, collapsed greenhouses and mud on seedlings.
“Recovery will take a lot of effort,” said Shinichi Emata, 61, head of the co-op’s strawberry department. Co-op staff have been dispatched to help with removing sediment and other work.
The flood hit right around the time the strawberry flowers were beginning to bloom. Farmers removed the flowers that had mud on them, as any fruit would be unsellable, and waited for them to bloom again.
The undamaged seedlings grew poorly during September’s warm stretch, and by the end of November shipments were down about 20 percent compared to the same period last year. Still, the situation is gradually recovering.
Emata inherited a strawberry farm from his parents and has been in the business for more than 50 years.
He avoided damage from this typhoon, and was busy with his family, part-time workers and others harvesting and packing Tochiotome strawberries. However, he also makes time to go to markets to promote the area’s special strawberries.
“They might be small but they have a nice shape and taste great,” Emata tells people.
Farmers whose greenhouses were destroyed and had to abandon this year’s crop are preparing to rebuild.
“I’ve had damage from heavy rains in the past. I know how hard it is,” Emata said. “We need to work together to protect Kanuma’s strawberries.”
When Typhoon No. 19 hit in October, it flooded the Omoi River that runs through Kanuma, one of the main production areas. Some greenhouses were inundated with sediment, but the farmers are giving it their all, saying that as a production area, they have to overcome the situation.
According to the Kamitsuga agricultural cooperative, which has jurisdiction over the city, about 30 of the approximately 200 strawberry farms owned by co-op members were damaged by the flood. This included sediment in greenhouses, collapsed greenhouses and mud on seedlings.
“Recovery will take a lot of effort,” said Shinichi Emata, 61, head of the co-op’s strawberry department. Co-op staff have been dispatched to help with removing sediment and other work.
The flood hit right around the time the strawberry flowers were beginning to bloom. Farmers removed the flowers that had mud on them, as any fruit would be unsellable, and waited for them to bloom again.
The undamaged seedlings grew poorly during September’s warm stretch, and by the end of November shipments were down about 20 percent compared to the same period last year. Still, the situation is gradually recovering.
Emata inherited a strawberry farm from his parents and has been in the business for more than 50 years.
He avoided damage from this typhoon, and was busy with his family, part-time workers and others harvesting and packing Tochiotome strawberries. However, he also makes time to go to markets to promote the area’s special strawberries.
“They might be small but they have a nice shape and taste great,” Emata tells people.
Farmers whose greenhouses were destroyed and had to abandon this year’s crop are preparing to rebuild.
“I’ve had damage from heavy rains in the past. I know how hard it is,” Emata said. “We need to work together to protect Kanuma’s strawberries.”
- December 16, 2019
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